While the ‘80s were full of movies that depicted hope for the future, others played into the fears of what could be coming ahead. Films such as Wargames and The Terminator examined the dangers of advancing technology and the threat they pose to average citizens. Similarly, John Badham’s 1983 action-thriller Blue Thunder was a metaphor for the American police state.

Blue Thunder remains an underrated gem of its day due to the combination of the decade’s gung-ho action genre and the essence of a ‘70s conspiracy thriller. According to the three-part documentary Ride With the Angels: Making Blue Thunder, which was featured in the 2006 DVD special edition, the film was originally conceived as a Taxi Driver-meets-Black Sunday character study of a troubled man using a hi-tech helicopter to terrorize Los Angeles. With Jaws star Roy Scheider in the lead, however, Blue Thunder would evolve into a timely thriller that made audiences terrified of choppers in the sky almost the same way as the shark movie did in scaring them from swimming in the water.

What Is 'Blue Thunder' About?

After failing to stop the murder of a Los Angeles city councilwoman due to being sidetracked by a nude woman in a nearby building, LAPD air support pilot Frank Murphy (Scheider) and his quirky new co-pilot partner Lymangood (Daniel Stern) get suspended by their boss Braddock (Warren Oates). While secretly investigating the murder, Murphy is called out of suspension to be the test pilot for "Blue Thunder," a heavily armed chopper intended to surveil a major American city using see-through technology, audio recording devices, and a “whisper mode” to fly quietly. The military-style chopper is seen by police as a defense weapon against potential threats to the upcoming Summer Olympics.

While doing a test run with Blue Thunder at night, Murphy and Lyangood stumble upon a conspiracy involving government officials who want the chopper as part of militarizing the police force against urban unrest and plot to take out any politicians, including the slain councilwoman, standing in the way. The recorded tape of the meeting puts the pilots' lives in danger, causing Murphy to steal Blue Thunder while trying to get the recording to the media. Along with the conspirators on Murphy’s tail is his Vietnam War rival Colonel Cochrane (Malcolm McDowell).

Blue Thunder was made in a pre-CGI era where everything had to be shot practically. The film’s biggest highlights are in the third act, when the French Aérospatiale SA-341G Gazelle has to evade everything from LAPD choppers to F-16s all throughout Central L.A. Its most mind-blowing moment is when Murphy has to turn the Blue Thunder into an unbelievable 360-degree loop to evade one of his enemies. Much of the chopper’s high-tech features can be seen as the early use of military drone technology.

‘Blue Thunder’ Predated Post-9/11 Fears of Police Militarization

Writers Dan O’Bannon (Alien), Don Jakoby (Lifeforce), and director Badham (Wargames, Short Circuit) focus on the dangers of militarizing local law enforcement. In this case, the Blue Thunder helicopter is so advanced it may as well be a figurative gun aimed at someone unaware. It may have had all the bells and whistles to appeal to a younger crowd, as the film was later adapted for television featuring Dana Carvey and Bubba Smith. However, the film eerily predicted American life after the 9/11 terror attacks, as government overreach to prevent another tragedy led to policies that did more to raise the fears of everyday citizens instead of assuring their safety. This was something Murphy alluded to upon watching a demonstration involving Blue Thunder doing selective firing on a simulated riot scenario.

Blue Thunder is especially gripping because of Roy Scheider as its lead hero, Murphy. Where Chief Brody in Jaws was generally a hard-working sheriff and family man, Murphy shares similar everyman traits that Scheider was best known for. Though the script was changed from Murphy being a deranged killer to a hero cop, the one key trait carried over from earlier drafts was his PTSD from Vietnam. Without Scheider overplaying the symptoms, Murphy relies on a stopwatch within his electronic Timex before stressful situations to avoid “going over the edge." This plays a major role in the film’s epic showdown with Cochrane in the air. Blue Thunder is an effective thriller filled with incredible aerial stunt work and remains relevant today due to its depiction of excessive force in policing. Scheider’s quiet charisma with McDowell as his perfect, cocky adversary keeps the groundwork just as engaging as the flying scenes. Its early form of drone technology is something that Sony is looking to explore in a potential Blue Thunder remake that remains in development.

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Blue Thunder
R
Action
Crime
Drama
Release Date
May 13, 1983
Runtime
109 Minutes
Director
John Badham
Writers
Dan O'Bannon, Don Jakoby, Dean Riesner
Producers
Andrew Fogelson, Gordon Carroll

Cast

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WHERE TO WATCH

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A veteran helicopter pilot is tapped to operate a new, technologically superior aircraft designed to control urban crime in Los Angeles. As he navigates the complexities of this powerful tool, he uncovers a plot that could threaten the civil liberties of the entire city, prompting him to take action to avert disaster.

Main Genre
Action